More than 100 people lose ₹1.25 crore after falling for 'read e-books and earn money' app scam in Kerala

A promise of easy money for simply reading e-books has turned into a ₹1.25 crore fraud in Kerala, with more than 100 people alleging they were duped through a task-based online scam that lured them with small initial payouts before cutting off access to their earnings, according to a report by The New Indian Express.

At least 106 people recently submitted a mass petition to the Thiruvananthapuram Rural cyber police station.

Cyber cell officials said similar scams have surfaced in different parts of the state, particularly in Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam. The Vithura police, who initially received the complaint, suspect the fraud has links to the UK.

According to police officials, the modus operandi closely resembles other task-based scams involving hotel ratings and reviews, except that this operation used an application called the NTL App.

How the scam worked

Explaining how the scam worked, a police official said a WhatsApp link to download the app was first sent to a prominent person in a locality, someone with a wide public connect who could attract more participants to the scheme.

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The app offered multiple membership levels, with entry fees ranging from ₹1,800 to several lakh rupees.

Once enrolled, members were assigned the task of reading e-books every day. They were promised ₹25 for each completed book, while the person who recruited them received a commission for every book read. "The more members one adds, the higher the commission."

However, the earnings shown on the app were only virtual. Members were told that withdrawals would be allowed only on Wednesdays. While some victims said they initially received payments, the transfers eventually stopped. When the app later became inaccessible, many realised they had been cheated and approached the police.

"There are people who invested lakhs into this scheme. From what we learnt, the scamsters used the details of a US company to cheat us," a victim told the publication.

Probe points to larger network

The complainants have named Sanofar, a native of Tholicode, as the key suspect, alleging that he persuaded them to join the scheme.

Vithura SHO Vaisakh D. said Sanofar appeared to be only one link in a much larger network.

"We suspect the role of some operations centred around the UK. We have filed an FIR and handed over details to the cyber cell, " he said.

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Cyber cell warns of similar frauds

Cyber crime officials said they have repeatedly warned the public about such task-based frauds, but similar operations continue to target people across Kerala.

"Most of the cases have been reported from Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam. A few cases were reported in other districts, including Malappuram and Kozhikode," said an official with the Joint Cyber Crime Coordination Centre.